Pizzicato Finale: Part One
by Maria Magdalene Mesmer
Summary: Everyone falls in love at some point, and everyday someone realises they are in love. But when will Hino Kahoko fall in love? More importantly, who will she fall in love with? Revamped*


Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. Best viewed with story width in 1/2 format. © Kure Yuki & KOEI Co.

Note: Hello there! It's been quite a while, hasn't it—it's been a year, I think? I know, I know, and I'm terribly sorry for leaving everything like that. I shouldn't have, but I did anyway . . . because I know I had to—I must. So, here I am again, doing what I love the most.

* * *

**PIZZICATO FINALE**

**PART I**

# # #

In Japan, the school year starts in April, and ends in March of the following year. It runs under a trimestral education system, separated by short vacations during spring and winter, as well as a month-long summer break. Students attend elementary school for six years, junior high or middle school for three years, and senior or high school for another three years.

# # #

**CHAPTER ONE**

**NO REPLY**

# # #

THERE WAS A BUZZ from inside her pocket. Kahoko instinctively pulled and flipped her phone open.

_Where are you? Meeting's about_  
_to start in a few minutes.—Kaji_

She heaved a sigh, feeling a bit guilty about her answer, then quickly, before she could take it back, she texted: _On my way._

It was just a little white lie to cover up that she was actually just about to leave home. She stared and waited for the confirmation that her message have reached its recipient; but once it did, she found herself having a hard time pulling her gaze away from the screen. She pored over it some more as if waiting to receive another message—one that wasn't from Aoi.

It has been ages since she concentrated this hard on her phone. The only thing that finally made her tear her eyes away from it was when the front lights went off, and was replaced immediately by a tiny reflection of her face, completely shadowed by disappointment.

This startled her so much so that it felt like a mighty slap across her face—one that she had the pleasure of receiving quite a lot before; but no matter how figuratively painful it was, she was thankful nonetheless. It saved her from further wasting her time standing there in the vestibule of her house, and from permitting her mind to wander on those meaningless musings it had been through months ago. She had done so well trying to forget those; that she cannot let herself fall prey to it once again.

Kahoko stood tall, squared her shoulders, closed her eyes, and took a long drag of air, filling her lungs and holding it in for as long as she could before releasing it in a form of one lengthy sigh. She slid the phone back in the front pocket of her denim skirt, bent over to do the laces on her low-top sneakers, and made her way for the door.

"Okasan," she called over her shoulder, hand already at the doorknob. "I'm going."

"Take care, Kahoko," her mother trilled from the kitchen.

Kahoko stepped out of the comfortable confinements of her home, and onto the streets where the sun was at its fullest. It was just a few minutes after lunch and the heat was unbearable. But as she walked on, she felt the moderate flow of wind about, fanning her along the way.

After making a turn on the corner, she found herself tailing a young girl who was furiously talking into her phone. Both stopped for the pedestrian lights to change. Kahoko's eyes drifted over to the back of the girl, and, out of curiosity, she studied the girl's outfit.

From her height and her looks, she was, perhaps, in middle school, wearing a pair of hot pants, a thin blouse, bright pink flip-flops, and on her head sat a straw boater. Kahoko assumed that the girl in front was heading for the beach (what with her bikini top slightly visible through her blouse). The last thought, however, made Kahoko frown.

Once the light changed and people were moving again across the street, she wondered what her friends were up to at the moment; and if she, somehow, regretted her decision. But there was no time dwelling on the topic for she had just passed the gates of Seiso Gakuen.

The school was relatively quiet today except for the sound of whistles erupting here and there for sport-related clubs. She knew that they were the only organisations active at this time of the year to prepare for competitions next semester, and it puzzled her why was her club suddenly having an important assembly.

"Hino?"

She turned to look at the source of the voice, and saw Junosuke at the edge of the soccer field, towel draped over his shoulders.

"Sasaki-kun." She nodded, shielding her eyes with her hand, almost like saluting to him. "Where's Tsuchiura-kun?"

"Already left," he said, smirking. "You must be pissed with the meeting."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on," he said teasingly. "I know all about your supposed trip in Enoshima Island with Takato and Kobayashi."

"Oh," Kahoko said. "That. . . . Well, it was not that big of a deal to me."

"How could you say that?" Junosuke said incredulously. "How are you not pissed? Takato told me everything about it. The planning, the bookings, the tickets . . ." He pulled the towel off his shoulders. "And the crash course on surfing. I would be extremely pissed if I were you."

"Wait," she said. "Mio told you everything?"

"Yeah . . . so?"

"I didn't know you were that into our girly trips," Kahoko sneered back at him.

"What—no," he blurted out, slightly blushing. "She was the one who called, and she was just so pumped about the trip. I was bored . . . so I let her talk. Anyway, why are you even still here? You're running late, you know." He finished with a satisfied look on his face.

"Oh no!" she said, storming off and giving a swift wave behind her. "See you later then, Sasaki-kun!"

Kahoko tore the distance from the field to the small auditorium where the assembly was going to be held. The main reason why she was running as fast as she could, her bag swaying violently beside her, and not having a great time with her friends basking under the sun in her swimwear at the beach, was because she was a part, and an official member of the Orchestra Club—something that no one ever saw coming.

According to the school rules, there was absolutely nothing wrong with someone from her department to join a club that many saw fit only for those who are from the opposite department. Her move was praised for being groundbreaking, and criticised for being downright unfair; but that was before her support team decided to submit their application forms, and was immediately accepted into the club. The tension was reduced to nothing but pure admiration for her backups.

"Good, you're here," were the first words Kahoko heard as she stepped into the auditorium. Hiroto was standing next to the desk in front, clipboard in hand, and somehow, she noticed something different about him today, but she was too busy trying to catch her breath to make her mind function properly. "Take a seat, Hino. I'll go get Kira so the meeting could start."

A little flushed from running, she nodded and scanned the room; but she didn't have to venture that far. Her eyes flicked from the first row which was occupied by the new recruits, except for Keiichi who chose to sit on the second row where the older members have placed themselves, right next to Shoko. As for the third row, there she saw the two members that had rescued her from the torments of being ridiculed for joining the club in the first place: Aoi and Ryotaro; and what appeared to be a decent space between them.

Kahoko knew that that seat was for her because of how Aoi was smiling at her, and Ryotaro acknowledging her presence with a slight nod. She beamed back, and was about to take a step forward when she heard the creak of the door behind her, and felt a hand land on her shoulder.

"Off to find a seat, Kaho-chan?" Kazuki asked, smiling at her. She wanted to turn and look at the two waiting for her, but Kazuki continued without waiting for an answer. "Let's find seats together then. . . . How about there?" He pointed at the row right behind Aoi and Ryotaro.

"Sure," she said uncertainly, keeping her eyes on Aoi and Ryotaro who were both shocked to see her walk past them. As the two turned to look at her with perplexed faces, she just shrugged in return, and offered a weak smile, hoping that they'd understand her situation.

The door opened once more, and all attention went with a snap at the new arrivals. Hiroto appeared with Akihiko at his heels. Standing side by side, Kahoko had never seen both men so affected by the weather.

Hiroto, she only came to realise, did not wore his usual white coat. Instead, he was just wearing a pair of distressed jeans and a simple grey shirt while Akihiko was also coatless but his usual business shirt remained. The only difference were the sleeves, as they were pushed up, revealing his forearms, and the absence of his tie.

"It seems that everybody's here," said Hiroto, eyes sweeping the rows and its occupants.

"Very well then," Akihiko started with his firm commanding voice. "I know most of you were not expecting any kind of activity for the Orchestra Club to take place till the start of your second semester, and I want to apologise now for those who have planned or were planning to spend their long summer break with trips and such." His eyes went about the room as if waiting for someone to comment on his statement; but when no one did, he continued, "But Seiso was asked by the local government officials to hold an End of Summer concert to boost the tourism in Yokohama."

The room was instantly drowned by murmurs, and seatmates have leaned in together to whisper conspiratorially at each other. Kahoko disregarded the purls on every row, and edged from her seat, tapping Aoi on the shoulder.

"Sorry for asking, but," she said quietly, "Kira-riji mentioned—"

"Something about the local government?" he said without looking at her.

"Right." Kahoko nodded. "So, I was wondering whether your otosan have anything to do with this?"

"He did," he answered, craning his head to meet her gaze. "I told him about recently joining the Orchestra Club, and he thought there was no better way to display my return to music than performing in front of the local citizens and tourists alike."

"Talk about one supportive otosan," Ryotaro added.

Kahoko gave a giggle at his remark, and heard Kazuki and Aoi snigger, but the three had to hold the rest in when Akihiko clapped his hands once to get the members' attention back at him.

"It seems that you're all quite taken by the news," his deep voice said. "It's a pleasure to announce that Seiso has agreed on the performance. However . . ." he handed a pile of pamphlets to Hiroto who distributed the sheets to the members. "As you can see, it's going to be done in an open venue that caters to a huge crowd, and with the current number of members in the Orchestra Club, I'm afraid it won't be sufficient even after asking our OB to find support outside of Seiso Gakuen. Please elaborate, Hihara-san." He nodded towards Kazuki.

Kahoko looked at Kazuki who stood at once when he was suddenly addressed by the member of the board. The fact that he was now the OB for the Orchestra Club hasn't sunk in yet for her; and up to now, she still could not help but compare him to his predecessor: Shinobu.

Kazuki and Shinobu have the same fondness for the club, and have willingly given their extra time to make sure that there's someone older guiding the members; but the only problem that Kahoko and the others have observed is that, Kazuki lacked authority over the group. Often times, when a member slacked off or did not submit themselves to his lead, it ironically came into either Ryotaro or Aoi to handle the crisis.

"Hai," Kazuki said, a bit embarrassed at how loud he has to make his voice sound across the room. "I've asked some of the former members of the club who are also studying in Seiso Daigaku, and have listed down the names of those who have agreed to participate, but it's still a small addition. We need more brass musicians, and, if possible, string musicians as well."

Akihiko crossed his arms, and undoubtedly sighed at Kazuki's explanation and request. "I thought so," he said. "That is why I came up with the last resort I could think of—Seiso is going to perform along with another school."

"Eh?" Kahoko said inaudibly amidst the louder version of her response around the room.

"Kira-riji," Ryotaro called, shooting a hand upward, not at all deterred by the announcement. "What school would we be playing with?"

"Fujijo Gakuen," he said casually. "You all have the whole day tomorrow to rest. Rehearsals start on Monday, after lunch just like today, and will be done here in Seiso for the next few weeks. I expect everybody to cooperate with Fujijo for this project." He casted one sharp look on all of them, then said, "Is there any more questions?"

Satisfied with the silence the whole club gave him, he bowed once and left without another word.

"Alright," Hiroto said just as the door had closed. "You heard Kira, but before you leave, be sure to take your scores here." And with that, he, too, left the room.

One by one the seats were emptied, and every member heading for the door made a quick stop at the desk to look for their respective scores. Kazuki excused himself, and apologised profusely for not sticking around. He was to get himself to another meeting for a presentation due on Monday morning for his summer class. Right after Kazuki, Ryotaro also excused himself to resume his soccer practise with the team.

"So," Aoi started, smiling as they pick their way through the scores. "It's just you and me now, Hino-san."

"Oh." She turned just in time to see the last member exit the room. "It seems so."

"What's keeping you busy lately?" he asked, checking if he got the scores he needed.

"Nothing much," she said, shrugging. "Just been practising a lot."

"Really?" he said conversationally. "Because I heard that you were supposed to—"

"Oh, please," Kahoko groaned. "Don't tell me Mio told you, too?"

"Apparently," he chortled, amused at how she had reacted to his piece of information.

She shook her head good-naturedly as she propped the scores neatly on the table before slipping them inside her bag. The second she had zipped her bag close, she felt a buzz from her pocket, making her jump a little, and completely catching her off guard. Her hand hastily dug the phone out from her denim skirt, and flipped it open, her mind thinking radically for the possibility that it could finally be from—

_We just finished our crash course on_  
_surfing. It was so much fun! Hope you_  
_were here with us.—Love Mio & Nao_

Inside her head, everything suddenly stopped working, and shattered into nothing. Her face fell into the same sorry state of disappointment it made before she left home; worse, it wasn't just her face anymore, something inside her chest ached. She bit her lower lip, trying so hard to force herself not to get caught up with her own emotions.

"Hino-san?" that voice and those fingers around her wrist eventually pulled her out of her mental suffering. "Are you alright?"

She looked up, and saw Aoi frowning and peering down at her as if she was seriously ill. Slowly, he loosened his grip on her wrist.

"Hino-san?" he repeated.

Flipping the phone shut, she lied, "I-I'm fine."

"What's the matter?" he offered, taking his hand off her wrist. "Did something happen? Did the message upset you?"

"I'm just—yeah, you're right. I'm upset," she said, stringing together a good enough reason to use on him, "because Mio and Nao are having a great time without me."

Aoi stepped back a little, surveying Kahoko who had withdrawn her look on him, from head to toe. "That's not it, is it?"

"What do you mean?" she mumbled, pocketing her phone.

"You're a bad liar, you know," he said, laughing lightly. "This is not the first time I've seen you that upset over a message."

"What?"

"I mean, I've seen you like this before," Aoi said. "You've been making the same look at the start of this year."

Kahoko suddenly felt self-conscious. "You were watching my reaction to the text messages I get?"

"Don't say it like that," he said quickly. "You make me sound like a stalker, and it was not that hard to see because we've been seatmates since last semester. I just hope my messages do not make you do that same reaction."

"They don't."

"Good," Aoi almost sighed, then with a firmer tone, he said, "I can't help and notice. And it wasn't just me. Takato- and Kobayashi-san have also noticed, and they were the first to confront me about it."

Kahoko's eyebrow flinched upon this, and drove her attention back at him, more self-conscious than before. "You've been talking about me?"

"We're just worried, Hino-san," he said, eyes softening at her. "But it wasn't that bad because you somehow got over it, and I was thankful when it did . . . till now, though."

"Oh."

"Do you mind telling me why?"

Kahoko felt herself ease down on the platform. "I guess I have no choice, huh?"

She didn't like being confronted like this, especially not from Aoi—from a guy. She had always pictured this scene of her telling this particular matter to Mio and Nao, but somehow, she could also see Mio stirring things up and Nao following suit no matter how serious the topic was for her. Kahoko needed someone sensible enough to understand her, and now that it had presented itself, even though it was from the opposite gender, she had no choice but to trust Aoi; and she knew she had to get it off her chest at some point.

She heaved a sigh, and looked up at Aoi. "Last night—early morning, rather, I got a missed call."

"And?"

"Isn't it strange for someone to call on such an ungodly time of two in the morning, unless it was an emergency," she said. "But, what really made me wonder was the number that registered on my phone."

"What about it?"

"It was too long, unlike the numbers here in Japan," Kahoko explained, feeling her phone in her pocket. "And I was too sleepy at that time that I accidentally deleted the number." She gave another sigh, then continued, "I guess what I'm trying to say is . . . it made me wonder—or for a better word—hope; that it could be from him. . . . From Tsukimori-kun."

"Oh," he said. "I should have known." Aoi moved closer, and crouched down to look at her steadily in the eyes. "No word from him yet?"

"Yup," she said bitterly.

"Since he left?"

"Since he left."

"I see."

"I mean," Kahoko started, feeling somewhat sorry for herself. "I just don't understand the whole thing. I thought we were friends, you know." She shot Aoi a hopeful look. When he gave a nod once, she continued, "But after he left, it felt like . . . so did our friendship. I just don't know what to make out of it."

"Me neither," his voice was so mellow and comforting; it evoked her into opening up more.

"I really don't get it," she mumbled, shaking her head, shoulders hunching in defeat. "I thought we were close . . . after everything, and because the day before he left, he . . . well, he . . ."

Words weren't enough to say what she wanted but her right hand acted on it anyway: it soared over her left shoulder, half-embracing herself, as she put her head downward. She didn't want to close her eyes, but she just couldn't help it; and the second she did, she vividly remembered every single detail of that moment where Len had wrapped his arms around her, completely forgetting at how close Aoi was watching her and her spontaneous demonstration.

The sound of Aoi's loafers against the floor put an end to her reverie. She glanced back in front of her only to see Aoi gone. He was now standing next to the window, staring at the sunset with furrowed eyebrows.

"Kaji-kun?" she called, breaking the momentary silence.

"I'm sorry," he said, narrowing his eyes at the setting sun. "I should not have asked you from the start. It seems that it's a very personal matter to you."

"It is," admitted Kahoko, slightly confused as to why he had removed himself from his position. "But I also need help about it."

He tore his eyes from the window, and let them stare back at her, arching an eyebrow at her last statement.

"What if it was me who went away, and I never made contact with you," she said helplessly. "Surely you'll feel—"

"Confused, disappointed, and, maybe a bit angry," he answered, moving back in front of her. "I might even go crazy about it."

"Exactly!" she said, standing up so fast that she almost stumbled forward. Luckily Aoi was there to hold her steady in place by catching her at the shoulders. "Oops?"

Aoi chuckled, and gave her a lopsided smile, instantly making her blush from his actions.

"Or," she said slowly, "do you think I'm thinking way too much about it?"

"No, not at all," he said. "I'm certain I'd give the same thought about it if you went away, but don't let it take over you, Hino-san. You should know when to take a break from it."

"You're right about that one," she said, stifling a yawn.

"Tired?"

"Just a bit," Kahoko said, waving her hand. "Slept late last night."

He gave her a disapproving look. "Really now?"

"I was so much into my playing that I forgot about the time," she countered defensively.

"Hmm," he huffed, changing his look to a contemplative visage. "You free tomorrow?"

"Yeah," she said reluctantly. "I think so, why?"

His lips twitched into a smile, and clearly declared, "Let's go out tomorrow."

"W-what?" she stammered, cheeks turning red. "Like a d-date?"

"Friendly date, Hino-san," he assured her. "We might as well take the chance before the rehearsals. What do you say?"

"Well . . ." she said, throwing a cautious look at the window, on the desk, the rows, and then to his emerald eyes. With a resigned tone, she answered, "Okay."

"Excellent." He beamed, squeezing her shoulders lightly. "But promise me you won't stay up late tonight so we both are in good spirits tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

"Oh, and another thing," he added. "You look great in skirt, but can you wear your most comfortable pair of jeans for tomorrow?"

# # #

Whatever Aoi said to her, or maybe she just misheard him, Kahoko didn't argue. The weather felt considerably cooler than yesterday so she did what he had advised her. From sleeping early—which she found right after she woke up had amazing benefits—to the clothes she picked out, everything panned out unexpectedly that she could not help but feel excited about the whole prospect of their date—friendly date that is.

She did wore her most comfortable pair of jeans: it was a slim-cut faded denim which she paired with a strapless sunglow-coloured tunic—ruffled at the bottom—and after ransacking her sister's closet, she was able to pull out a decent-looking jacket to go with her flats.

Kahoko was in the middle of deciding whether to put half her hair in a ponytail or not, when she heard the distinct roar of engine outside. The noise was brief, that before she could approach her balcony to see what it was, it suddenly died out.

_Must be some random passerby_, she told herself, choosing to let her hair down for the day. Then, as if telling her that she was good to go, she heard a knock on the door.

"Kahoko?" called her mother in an odd sugar-coated tone.

"Hai?"

"Your date's here," she said with a couple of giggles.

Kahoko cannot resist rolling her eyes at this, before leaving her room, and ignoring her mother's mischievous beam at her as they went down the stairs. Calming herself, and her mother, they entered the living room.

Aoi sat on the couch with perfect composure. He wore black fitted shirt, dark denim pants, and on his lap was a leather jacket.

"I hope I'm not too early?" he said the minute he saw Kahoko walked in. "You look amazing."

"Really?" She smiled. "Thanks. Don't worry, your timing's perfect."

"In that case," Aoi added, moving away from the couch, jacket in his arms. "Maybe we should get going?"

"Are you sure you don't want to have tea before you leave?" Mrs. Hino insisted, beaming at them.

"And let me watch you bombard him with questions?" Kahoko shot back, raising an eyebrow at her mother. "No. I don't think so."

"Oh, Kahoko, I was just joking," she said, hiding her grin with her hand. She then turned to Aoi, and with a voice somewhere between strict and good-humour, she said, "You two be careful now, and please bring her back home safely, Kaji-san."

"Hai," he answered at once. "Thank you for the hospitality."

Aoi led Kahoko to the door where Mrs. Hino both bid them a safe trip. The two made their way out of the gate, and was greeted by a black sport-type motorcycle gleaming against the sunlight. Two helmets sat on the seat, as polished and brand new-looking as the machine.

"How do you like our ride?" Aoi asked.

"Are you serious?" she said bluntly, turning on her heel. "This is yours?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "It's a Multistrada 1100S Ducati—a gift from my ojiisan."

"No way!" Kahoko exclaimed, moving around it to get a better view of the whole thing. "So this is why you asked me to wear pants today."

"Exactly."

"Hmm," she said, finally stopping. "This is really just a gift? What's the occasion?"

"No occasion—it's more like a bribe. Anything to make me consider taking medicine for college," he explained, putting on his jacket. "Well, enough about the motorcycle. Grab your helmet, and let's get going."

She nodded, and did what she was told, patiently waiting for the engine to spring to life. At the roar of the motorcycle, Kahoko gasped at her little discovery.

Over the loud mechanical thumper, she shouted, "So it was you who I heard from my room."

"I guess so," he said. "Hop on."

Kahoko slid the helmet over her head, and ambled towards the motorcycle. She stepped her left foot carefully on one of the foot guides, and used Aoi's shoulder for a sturdier kind of support. With one swift motion, she managed to swing her other leg over.

"Good," Aoi said just as she had planted herself firmly on the other half of the pillion behind him. "Alright, hold on."

She placed her hands on each of his shoulders, and made to grasp them lightly; leaning as far as she could away from him, worried that it might mean something else if she closed the gap between them which was not a very good idea from the start. Within the second Aoi had decided to move forward, Kahoko found her arms around his torso, and her whole body against his, surprised from the minor jerk the machine made. Thankfully, her helmet was there to hide her flustered face, but she swore she heard Aoi chuckle softly underneath his helmet.

As the motorcycle drove through the city, Kahoko was rather astonished at how Aoi handled their ride. He had no difficulty squeezing his motorcycle between cars and trucks, and overtaking slower vehicles or outracing fellow bike riders. He was that good that Kahoko was tad bit saddened when they slowed down, and eventually came to a halt at the parking lot of Yokohama Landmark Tower.

Kahoko had no trouble getting off; it was a lot easier than getting on. Aoi turned the motorcycle off, retrieved her helmet, and removed his before following her onto the lifts, looking quite dashing compared to her who was regretting every bit not putting half her hair, or all, into a ponytail. She had to struggle combing her locks with her fingers as the lift climbed floors.

The moment the doors opened, Aoi ushered her towards a restaurant packed with people mostly dressed in formal attire. Some wore smart casual but it cannot conceal the fact that it was a sea of impeccably clothed socialites and the like.

"I hope you don't mind us eating here for lunch?" Aoi said.

"I don't," she said hesitantly, still scanning the restaurant for a hint of anything but classy patrons. "But I hope they don't mind me dressed like this."

"Don't be," he said. "You have nothing to worry about. You look amazing, and just so you know," he leaned to whisper, "I've dined here underdressed loads, and I got away with it every single time."

Kahoko grinned back at him which he took for the go signal to proceed inside. They were welcomed at the door by a very ritzy waiter who gave them such a low bow Kahoko felt so honoured to be there. Recomposing himself to stand straight, he gave Aoi one good look before scanning the list propped open on the small podium.

"Reservation for a table for two by the window," the waiter said, voice clipped. "This way please."

With a slight nod, the waiter turned and guided them to a handsomely arranged table right next to one of the huge windows. He handed them the menu, and left them politely, giving them time to decide.

Kahoko only got a fleeting glimpse of the contents of the leather-covered menu before quickly snapping it shut. She understood not a word printed inside the long list of food and beverages, and she definitely did not want to know the corresponding price for each of the item.

Across the table, Aoi lifted his eyes from his menu. "What's the matter, Hino-san?"

"I can't be trusted with this," Kahoko said gloomily, setting the menu on the table. "I can't understand the contents. Is it okay if I ask you to order for me instead?" She threw him a timid smile.

"Sure," he said, putting his hand up in the air. "No problem."

She sighed in relief when Aoi finished telling the waiter their order, and gave another once she saw the plates being placed down in front of them, just a few minutes later. The selection and serving was perfect for two, and the aroma coming off from each plate made her mouth water and her stomach grumble in hunger. The lunch was joined by a few chats about the upcoming concert. Kahoko, in between meals, noticed Aoi giving her swift glances.

"Is there anything on my face?" she asked, finally able to catch and lock eyes with him.

"No," he managed to say after swallowing a forkful of pasta. "But I wish there was."

"And why is that?"

"So I could brush it off," he said, lips curling into a mirthful smile.

Kahoko looked at him as he took a piece of bread from the small basket in the centre, tore a small part from it, and shoved it in his mouth; then she giggled.

"What?" Aoi said, frowning at her.

She reached over his face, and brushed the small crumbs on the edge of his lips with her fingers. "You should pay more attention to yourself, and not at me."

Because of the proportions of the meal, Kahoko and Aoi found that they still have room for dessert, and settled in sharing a plate of strawberry crepe before Aoi made the universal sign for the bill at the waiter who saw them in. After the waiter had handed the card back, Aoi slipped a few bills on the small leather receipt holder, and they left to browse around the shops in the building.

The first shop they went to was an apparel store, and it gave her the oddest feeling while walking around to see the merchandise. Excluding her brother, there was only this one time where she went shopping with a guy, and she hardly called it quality shopping because the whole thing was forced, unlike now.

She felt rather embarrassed, but not as much as before, when Aoi asked for her opinion on certain pieces. When he saw that she was being too quiet throughout the ordeal, he made to move her to the ladies' section where she found it doubly uncomfortable when he started picking up clothes for her. It only stopped when Kahoko agreed on trying one before leaving the store.

Kahoko knew that Aoi was a very good-looking young man, so it doesn't surprise her anymore when heads would turn for him. He practically looked like a model or an actor waiting to be discovered, the latter having a higher possibility to come true; after all, he did play as Romeo on last year's Culture Day, and everybody who saw it was impressed by his performance.

Then, Aoi took her to one of his favourite stores: a gold and silver jewellery shop. Silver accessories are Aoi's greatest weakness; something he had shared with Kahoko during one of their lunch breaks at school. When they got there, he walked over to the earrings' section followed closely by Kahoko. Just by looking at the earrings on display was enough to know why Aoi is hooked on their products.

The details on every piece of jewellery were so intricately done that Kahoko was sure they were made with a lot of time and effort. Her eyes darted from one to the other with increasing pleasure, and made an abrupt halt on a lovely pair of earrings.

She could feel her mouth part in awe while taking a step closer towards the glass case. Her eyes widened at the sight before her: a pair of beautifully crafted stud earrings, both different in design yet paired together. One was a G-clef and the other was an F-clef. Kahoko's face was now inches away from the glass when she heard the saleswoman's voice from behind the counter.

"Would you like to try it on, okyakyu-san?" asked the saleswoman with a polite smile.

Kahoko snapped her neck at the lady across, and wished she hadn't done so in such haste. She felt the all too familiar burning sensation from partially straining her neck. As a precaution, she froze on the spot, and lifted herself away from the display cabinet, keeping her neck in the same position.

"I was just looking," she muttered, trying not to whine about her disposition. "That's a really gorgeous pair."

"Do you want that piece, Hino-san?" Aoi asked from behind her, peering down at the cabinet.

"Yes—but no," Kahoko replied quickly. "I mean, it's beautiful and all, but it's too expensive for me. So that's a no."

Aoi only smiled, and pulled out his credit card. "But you're with me, remember?"

"You're joking," she said, shaking her head in disbelief even though the pain was still there. "You can't. It's too much!"

"Oops," he said, handing the saleswoman his card, high enough so she could not reach for it in protest.

She tried all her might to stop him, even prying the card away from the saleswoman, but in the end, it was useless. The earrings, together with Aoi's personal purchases, were already in a small paper bag; and they were already leaving the store.

For their last stop, Aoi took her to the sixty-ninth floor of the building, at the Sky Garden to have a decent conversation while looking out onto the skyline of Yokohama, and its neighbouring natural beauty. Once on the floor, Kahoko could not hide her delight to see the sky so clear and the sharp outline of Mount Fuji from afar, right behind the tall buildings.

"So," Aoi started, leaning on the railing and looking back at the mountain. "Where do you think you'll be after high school?"

"Me?" Kahoko said. "Well . . . I still don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" he said. "Haven't you thought of any college you want to apply to?"

"I have," said she, staring blankly ahead. "I just don't know if I'll make it." She sighed, resting her chin on her crossed forearms that were on the railing. "What about you? Where do you think you'll be after high school?"

"I got two choices," he said, his attention on the skyscrapers. "Take medicine to stop ojiisan from further nagging me, or take otosan's advice and go with what I really want."

"At least you got choices," Kahoko said. "Ne, Kaji-kun."

"Hn?"

"Have you ever wondered why we call our iconic mountain _Fuji-san_ and not Fuji-yama?"

He stared hard at the mountain as if the answer was written on it. "I guess it's a sign of respect," he said. "But not necessarily like the one we use on people. I think it's more for a better title, like the Eiffel Tower of France and the Great Wall of China."

"Oh, that does make sense," she said. "I never quite understood that fact when I was younger. My oneesan actually convinced me that there was a mythical man living in the mountain _named_ Fuji-san, and he loves and takes great care of the mountain like it was his wife, but he never had any kids because that would be so weird."

Aoi threw his head back and laughed openly at her amusing story, causing the few people on the same floor to turn their heads on him instead of the great scenery sprawled before them. Kahoko tugged on the sleeve of his jacket to silence him.

"Sorry," he said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "But that was very imaginative of your oneesan."

"I know," Kahoko moaned, rolling her eyes. "And I believed her for five years of my childhood life—oh, wait a second."

Her phone buzzed from inside her pocket; trying desperately not to let herself get all worked up, she casually took it out, and was rather relieved at the way she had acted.

_How's your date with Kaji-kun? Was it ro-_  
_mantic? Did he make a move on you yet?_  
_Did you feel any kind of spark?—Mio & Nao_

Snorting back at the message, she typed her reply: _I don't know what you're talking about._

Kahoko triumphantly smirked after pushing the send button, relishing in playing innocent about her friendly date.

"You're smiling," Aoi said. "That's a good sign."

"Am I?" she said, flipping her phone. "I was actually being smug."

"As long as you're not frowning," he added. "I'm glad . . . whatever that message was supposed to be."

He tilted his head slightly to the right, allowing a warm smile to stretch across his lips. She was stunned at how natural and handsome he looked with the glow of the sunset hitting his face that she felt very fortunate to witness something so pleasing.

"Well," he started, grabbing her gently at the wrist. "I think I ought to get you home. I don't want to make a bad impression by driving you after dark."

"Oh," Kahoko said weakly, blushing from his notion. "Right."

As they head back down to the ground floor, the only thing that was occupying Kahoko's mind was how surprisingly fast the day has come to an end. Everything was perfect, as far as she was concerned, and being with Aoi for the whole day was relaxing in a way that even she cannot fully explain. It just felt normal and fun—fun that doesn't necessarily mean it should be about jokes and laughter, although they did have a few of those. No, it was different, and she liked it that the moment she got on his motorcycle, her arms automatically went around his torso without thinking of anything else anymore.

Trusting Aoi more was something she had concluded the minute they arrived safe and sound at the gates of her home. Kahoko got off first, removed her helmet and waited for Aoi to turn the motorcycle off. When the roar died, he got off, too.

"Well," Kahoko said, handing him the extra helmet, "see you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah," he said, buckling the straps of her helmet together, and hanging it over his arm before removing his. "Is it alright if I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How did I do?" Aoi said curiously.

"What?"

"I'd like to know how I did on our date," he said, his right hand unconsciously scratching the back of his head. "If it's okay with you."

"Oh." She could feel her blood slowly creeping up towards her face from how adorable he was presenting himself; and because of that, she knew that there was no way she could hide how she truly felt about their date. She gulped, and said, "I really had a wonderful time. . . . You did really well."

"Really?"

Kahoko nodded. "Really."

"You're not joking, right?"

"Of course I'm not!" she said, punching him lightly on the arm, thankful for the immediate distraction.

"I just thought because of the whole _Fuji-san_ thing."

"I'm not joking," Kahoko said, and then, with a gentler tone, she continued, "I'm rather thankful that you asked me out. It was really nice, and I really enjoyed it. So thank you."

She watched as Aoi's hand slipped away from the back of his head, and hung limp in his side. His eyes were on her, and she noticed that his cheeks were emitting a faint glow of pink.

"No, thank you," Aoi said breathlessly, taking a step forward. "You have no idea how happy I am right now. Here." He gave her the small paper bag from the jewellery store, "my token of gratitude."

"You really shouldn't have—"

"No," he cut her off, leaned a bit, his forehead almost touching hers. "It was worth it."

Kahoko felt a tincture of tingle run down her spine from how close he came. She only blushed as he bid her a pleasant evening, and followed him with her eyes when he hopped once more on his motorcycle, helmet back on, heard the roar of the engine, and waited for the blazing tail lights to fade into the darkening road. She heaved a sigh and turned on her heel—and felt another buzz.

It was a longer buzz with the unmistakable tone for an incoming call. The thought of Mio and Nao wanting to check on her, yet again, popped clearly in her head. She dug the phone out of her pocket, and without caring how her voice would sound, she said in irritation, "What now?"

"Hino?"

She froze first at her name . . . then at that voice.

"It can't be. . . ." she whispered, unable to think of a better response to say.

"Hino," it repeated; the voice more familiar and apparent to her. "It's me."

* * *

Note: Yes, it's rewritten—everything is under revision. I'll try and update as frequent as I used to, okay?

For those who stood by me, and for those that didn't, I thank you both. And to you, who just happened to read this, thank you for dropping by. Whoever first noticed this revamped version, well, Aoi would like to thank you by asking you out for lunch, make you ride on his motorcycle, and buy you a lovely pair of earrings.

12.04.10


End file.
